By Judie Brown
When linked with another word, quasi means “in some way or sense but not in a true, direct, or complete way.”
Rabid pro-abort quasi-Catholics like Speaker Nancy Pelosi, New York governor Andrew Cuomo, former vice president Joe Biden, and Hollywood actress Alyssa Milano, to name a few, challenge our patience. These people should be reprimanded by their bishops.
If they are receiving the body of Christ in the Eucharist, these individuals should be denied the Eucharist until they repent of their advocacy for killing the innocent.
Yet most bishops are silent and far too many pulpits are dormant. It’s as if abortion is not a grave evil they need to address. So we are left to either swing in the proverbial wind or take action! But first, as pro-life Catholics, we are obliged to put our own house in order. Here are a few things to consider.
Father Paul Scalia writes:
Sin has disturbed our souls, set them out of order. Our interior disquiet, in turn, causes disturbances outside of us—in the family, society, and the world as a whole. Christ’s grace within us frees our souls from the disorder of sin. He gives us an interior tranquility of order by configuring us to Himself. Once at peace interiorly, we can then (and only then) be a cause of peace for others.
Frankly, if we have not individually worked diligently to bring about interior peace, we cannot possibly hope to change the culture that surrounds us. It has been my experience that the closer we grow to Christ, the more we see where we need to improve. Keeping our own house in order is necessary and a daily challenge.
Msgr. Charles Pope offers us another inspiring reflection when he writes about “Proverbs for Pro-Lifers.” He assures us:
Although some stubbornly resist the truth of what they do not wish to see, there are many others whose ambivalence can be eroded and who have not hardened their hearts. Pulling back the curtain further and further is slowly winning the day. The truth is on our side and facts will eventually prevail.
Deep down, people know the truth; they understand what they are doing but do not want to be faced with it. This explains a lot of the anger directed toward us.
Pope underscores his own advice in a 2012 article in which he addressed Pelosi’s pro-abortion history based on an interview she gave. His words should inspire us:
“To the degree that she has voted to fund abortion or advocated for such funding she is guilty of at least material cooperation in abortion. Gleeful attitudes, while understandable for those who have been in the fight so long, are not the right attitude. Prayerful hope that the reporter’s question may have sparked her conscience is better, and prayer for a conversion of mind and heart in this matter is best.”
Yes, we should pray for Pelosi, Biden, Cuomo, and others who advocate for the horrific practice of aborting babies. They need the prayers.
Pope also has written about silent pulpits and reticent bishops, assuring us that we must persist. He explains:
Even a compromised judge still has the obligation to apply the law. Even an imperfect parent must still insist on what is right with his children and apply necessary punishments.
It is precisely our lack of insisting on what is true and our reluctance to correct error and apply medicinal penalties that has gotten us into the many internal problems we face. Catholics and non-Catholics must understand that we are serious about our teachings and that we cannot and will not stand idly by while a “Catholic” political leader celebrates the killing of children in the womb.
Finally, it must be said that if our voices are not loud and clear, while also being loving and calm, the babies will have no voice at all.
As we strive to improve our attitudes, pray for our enemies, and wrestle with the constant distraction and haranguing from the enemies of truth, we must remain at peace with Christ. This allows us to run headlong into the den of evil with confidence believing what St. John Paul II taught:
“Given such a grave situation, we need now more than ever to have the courage to look the truth in the eye and to call things by their proper name, without yielding to convenient compromises or to the temptation of self-deception.”
Lord Jesus Christ, help us to do Your will as we strive to correct error.
image: Paris Malone via Flickr | CC-2.0